So Im trying to record an internet stream using audacity(Ive tried a few others, same results) and when I play back the recording it sounds like its in a cave. Ive adjusted all the settings I can find in audacity and the fact it does the same thing in other programs tells me its an issue with the soundcard. Any way to fix it?

laptop: lenovo r61i
streams/mp3/etc play fine. Its just the ones I record that sound bad.
I tried updating the soundcard driver but it said I had the most up to date version.

9/23/2008 12:55:48 PM

Make sure environmental audio effects aren't turned on.

[Edited on September 23, 2008 at 2:37 PM. Reason : reading comprehension FTL]

9/23/2008 2:22:54 PM

I dont know what your set up is, whether you're recording the speaker output using a mic or just recording before speaker output (I don't know how to describe that... but basically recording the mix).

I've had a lot of luck with Mp3 my Mp3:

http://www.mp3mymp3.com/

Basically it records whatever your will output... or something. Good luck.

9/23/2008 2:34:05 PM

^^ how do I do that in vista/audacity?

^ recording from mix is what Im doing. I want to record the stream I am listening to. The mixer options for vista sucks major ass. I know its a setting somewhere just not sure where. Ill give that program a try

9/23/2008 3:06:57 PM

Quote :

"Make sure environmental audio effects aren't turned on."

i found out how to turn that off and it killed the sound to my stream.

9/23/2008 4:26:36 PM

Sounds like your software is using the mic, with the mic picking up your speakers' output after hearing the software play it. Turn off your mic and try it again. If it still does it, then I dunno, try a different program I guess.

9/23/2008 7:25:34 PM

^ you're on to something with the mic thing. I found out that it's the stupid soundmax card that will only allow you to record using the mic.If you disable the mic or set the lelels to zero it wont record anything. I found a fix for xp but it didn't work for vista, said it was an incompatible driver


Im thinking I can find the vista version of ADIHdAud.inf and enable Stereo mixer...



http://www.digitalbreed.com/2007/enabling-stereomix-with-soundmax-drivers

9/24/2008 11:47:20 AM

If the Internet stream will play in VLC, you can set VLC to dump the audio out as a file.

9/24/2008 12:21:40 PM

soundcard mic preamps in general are shite. If the signal is somehow going through that you are in bad shape. If your soundcard has a software mixer see if you can change the recording settings to "what you hear" rather than "mic" or "line-in". Then go the extra step and mute the mic channel and disable monitoring if it is enabled.

9/24/2008 12:22:51 PM

^^ wont play in vlc

^ thats the problem. The soundcard has mixer DISABLED. I need to find a way to enable it at the driver level.

9/24/2008 7:15:05 PM

sorry to hijack the thread but I have a related question. I have 2 options coming up for recording some demo stuff to help with writing our next album. The main one I have looked at is getting a mixing board however it is still easier to mix in a software program, but I had pretty much written that off because of my soundcard.

But I was thinking today, how good are external soundcards? I know you can get things to plug into a laptop because I just have a built in mic and basically have the same sound as the OP if I try to record anything through my soundcard - even with a good SHURE mic converted down to 1/8" in it sounds pretty bad (due to the card I am assuming).

In summary:

Would a good external card for my laptop make enough of a difference that I could probably run a SHURE SM57 through a Line6 Preamp like the Toneport and get decent sound? Although I think the Line6 toneport with the preamp basically IS a soundcard maybe? so by the time It went to my laptop it wouldnt be that big of a deal? http://line6.com/toneportux1/

im also interested in any latency involved.

[Edited on September 25, 2008 at 8:00 AM. Reason : ]

9/25/2008 7:50:43 AM

I found a way to play the stream in vlc and streamed it to a file.

thanks for the help

9/28/2008 12:45:05 PM